Can the Interest Be Rekindled?
1 “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” (Matt. 5:3) Those words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount are filled with meaning. Not many of mankind realize that they need spiritual things in order to make their lives happy and purposeful. There are some who once had that consciousness of spiritual needs but then lost it. Something caused them to grow cold regarding spiritual matters. They turned away from that which is really for their benefit. The question is, Can the interest of such ones be rekindled? Happily, for some it can.
2 You may know someone who studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses years ago, perhaps even as a child, but did not continue to associate with God’s people. Some Bible teachings and righteous principles, however, may have been impressed on that one’s mind and are still remembered. As world conditions grow worse and circumstances in life change, the things previously learned are recalled and the person may turn to God and have a readiness to take in further Bible knowledge. Calling on such persons for the purpose of renewing the Bible study could prove to be most rewarding.
3 Certainly effort should be made from time to time to call on those who attended the Memorial celebration. Let them know that you are genuinely concerned about their spiritual welfare, and offer to study the Bible with them. Special effort should be made to help those who also attended the recent “Light Bearers” District Convention. In some cases it may be advantageous for another publisher to call on a person whose study was discontinued because of a lack of progress.
4 Of course, people we study with are expected to take the worship of Jehovah seriously and manifest a measure of diligence in their Bible study. But for our part, we want to make sure that we have made sufficient effort to help and that we can feel toward others as did the apostle Paul when he said, “I am clean from the blood of all men.”—Acts 20:26.